1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of aircraft seat design, and more particularly, to a seat articulation mechanism in which the motion of the seat pan member is controlled by a seat pan articulation linkage pathway as the entire assembly translates from the upright to sleeping configuration.
2. Background of the Invention
To provide the type of amenities commensurate with the premiums paid for first class passenger seating, seat designers are continuously looking for ways to improve passenger comfort. Specific areas of comfort that are being developed include providing a maximum passenger living space, arranging seating units to provide privacy between units while maximizing available cabin space, and the comfort of the seat itself, among others. It is with regard to seat comfort and achieving various seat configurations that the present invention finds particular application.
Premium passenger seats are typically designed to provide various seat configurations including, but not limited to, an upright configuration for taxi, takeoff and landing, a generally horizontal configuration for sleeping, also commonly referred to as a “lie flat” configuration, as well as various degrees of recline therebetween. In the upright configuration, the seat back is positioned generally vertically, and in seat designs including a lower leg rest support, that support member is typically positioned generally vertically as well. The upright configuration is intended to brace the upper torso and lower legs of the seat occupant against forces that may be caused by sudden movement or impact. In the sleeping configuration, the seat back pivots rearward and the leg rest pivots forward relative to the seat pan to provide a generally planar, horizontal sleeping surface. The various configurations achieved intermediate the upright and sleeping configurations are collectively referred to herein as the “lounge configuration,” also referred to herein as a “reclined” or “Z-seating” configuration. In the lounge configuration, the seat back and leg rest portions are typically positioned somewhere intermediate their upright and sleeping positions.
In this regard, provided herein is a seat designed to achieve upright, sleeping, and lounge configurations by way of a seat articulation mechanism that obviates the need for specially programmed and controlled actuators for directly controlling seat pan motion. By incorporating a slot and roller programmed into the mechanism to provide the seat pan movement, the pathway may be steepened to provide greater angles in the seat pan in the lounge configuration, and flattened to provide a lesser angle, and the pathway may be tuned based on the customer's preference and different angles may be provided by simply interchanging the seat pan articulation linkage.